From a layman's perspective, to me it looks like society has reached, or is reaching, peak literacy. By this I'm referring to the scale and velocity of words a

From a layman's perspective, to me it looks like society has reached, or is reaching, peak literacy. By this I'm referring to the scale and velocity of words and other symbols, and their effects on mankind. The internet has enhanced the sense of individuality that a literate culture emboldens while simultaneously simulating the group effect of an oral culture. I can totally understand how psuedo-intellectualism or neo-Sophistry can arise under these conditions. Character criticism as pathology is another interesting point that you've brought up. I think that you are on the right track and that this is a lucid observation.